Shattered Innocence
by Story Writing Guy
Summary: Nicole is imprisoned for a crime she didn't commit, which greatly affects the rest of the Wattersons. Grieving for their mother, Gumball, Darwin and Anais make it their duty to find and capture the true culprit, Mr. Fingerprint, wherever he may be.
1. Prologue & Torn Apart

**As the summary should tell you, this is a story about what would've happened if the fingerprint guy wasn't apprehended at the end of the episode The Spoon. Not all of the episodes have aired yet so forgive me if this story contradicts anything revealed in later eps. Also, I do not own The Amazing World of Gumball, only the joy it brings me.**

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

A heavy sigh echoed throughout the dark corridor, followed by a slew of unending silence. The air itself seemed to have a gloomy texture, matching the cracked and dented walls that confined her. This was all contrary to the busy hours she would spend at work each day, and the spontaneous behavior of her family. She was out of place; alone in a small cell with none of the hectic responsibilities she had bestowed upon herself, and on her birthday. Of course, she hadn't expected to be in such an ordeal today of all days. No, she foresaw a barrage of greetings and hugs when she arrived home, a party with her favorite German chocolate cake, and then presents from her thoughtful children. She had already known her husband would forget to get her something, but it didn't matter to her. She was used to his bad memory, years of forgotten anniversaries and holidays had made sure of that.

The quietness was disrupted by a small grumble as Nicole's thoughts turned to exactly why she was imprisoned. Her anger was mostly directed towards the fingerprint robber, but ultimately she had to blame Richard for getting them involved. Sending two kids out on their own to face the dangers of the night was not a good idea, though she wasn't entirely surprised, mostly disappointed. His irresponsible actions had put their boys at risk. If something had happened to them she never would have forgiven him, or herself for not being there for them.

Nicole lowered her head in grief as she realized just how much she missed them. They must have been so worried about her; despite all of the unusual and absurd things she experienced on a daily basis, prison was new to her. A tear threatened to spill from her eye when she thought of the fear and confusion they had to be enduring, but she instinctively held it in. As a mother, she was accustomed to hiding her despair. She had to be strong for the sake of her kids, no matter what. Another sigh emerged from her lips, though it was less audible than the first. Whatever her husband and children were doing, she hoped they were okay.

"Happy birthday, Mom!" a trio of voices shouted, causing her to lift her head and gasp. Gumball, Darwin and Anais, along with their dad, were standing proudly around a large cake. "You're the coolest mom ever! We love you, mom!" The three kids exclaimed while their father simply smiled. Nicole was touched; words couldn't describe the irrepressible delight she felt. This time she couldn't suppress the tears in her eyes, but they were of joy rather than sorrow. Her efforts to speak were in vain as her kids looked up at her with smiling faces. The cake wasn't German chocolate, but she didn't care. All that mattered was that she had just received the greatest gift of all; the love of her family.

"Why... Thank you," she managed, wanting nothing more than to embrace them as tighly as she could, but the steel bars in front of her wouldn't allow that. All she could do was kneel as Gumball approached her cell, his siblings close behind.

"Um, Mom," he began, his posture suddenly showing signs of nervousness. "We're sorry about... You know, getting you put here..." Rubbing the back of his head, he glanced at Darwin to see him nodding sadly in agreement.

"Oh it's ok, sweetie," Nicole stated, giving him a comforting smile before letting a small glare take its place as she looked at her husband. "It's not completely your fault." Gumball gave a relieved smile while Richard looked down at his feet in shame.

"But we know it wasn't you who robbed the place, so why did you get arrested?" Darwin asked, his words laced with worry. Nicole spoke in a soothing tone, maneuvering her hand through the bars to place it firmly on his head.

"Well, sometimes things look a certain way when really they're completely different. They believe it was me because that's the way it seems." He considered her words before giving an understanding nod.

"But you're gonna get out, right?" Anais questioned, her spirits lifting when her mother smiled.

"Of course, honey. Soon they'll find the real culprit and I'll be released," she said happily, watching their smiles return as they threw their hands into the air.

"Yay!" they all shouted with excitement as Richard took a few steps toward them.

"And that's the last time I'm letting you kids go out alone at night," he added, unsuccessfully trying to sound authoritative. Nicole gave him a stern look before speaking.

"It better be," she said with a slight frown, but it subsided when her eyes met the cake again. In seconds her smile was back as she eyed it from top to bottom. "That cake looks delicious," was all she said as she stood up, already feeling her mouth begin to water.

"Yeah, we got the biggest and most awesome one we could find!" Gumball replied, running to the oversized dessert and cutting a piece with a plastic knife. "Try it," he urged, rushing back to her with it. A feeling of ecstasy began to build up within her as she looked down at the piece of cake being outstretched towards her.

"Go ahead, Mom," Darwin said, a cheerful look on his face while Anais and Richard nodded for her to comply.

"Well, alright," she finally said, reaching for it. "Don't mind if I-"

"Visiting hours are over," the doughnut officer said as he made his way to them. "But you can come back any weekday between the hours of five and six, and any weekend between the hours of-hey, is that cake?" He asked, admiring the piece in Gumball's hands. "Great, I'm starving." Swiftly, he snatched it from the young cat's grip, leaving him with his hands still raised toward his mom. They all watched as the living doughnut tossed the cake through his large hole, only to have it hit the ground behind him. "...Well, that didn't do anything for me," he said, just before Gumball and Darwin exchanged curious glances. "Anyway, go home, guys. You can see this inmate again tomorrow."

"Aww..." they all said simultaneously while Nicole averted her glum gaze to the floor. At that instant, the realization that she wasn't going home with them sank in. It was so foreign; she wasn't just a wife and mother to them, she was the backbone of the family. They couldn't imagine life without her; who would pay the bills and buy the groceries? No one.

"So you weren't able to find the fingerprint guy yet?" she asked sadly, despite already knowing what the answer would be.

"No, we haven't found Mr. 'Fingerprint' yet," The doughnut said, using his fingers to quote the name and earning himself a bitter look.

"He really does exist," Nicole argued. "Didn't the surveillance cameras get him?" He chuckled a bit.

"If he was real I'm sure they would have, but instead they probably got you stealing all of the tapes, lady." Her eyes widened for a moment before she hung her head in defeat. She had no idea how long she would be in captivity, but she despised the idea of being kept from her family for any amount of time. The whole situation was becoming unreal; was this really happening? For a second Nicole felt compelled to believe that it was all just a nightmare, but that thought was pushed aside by sudden shouting.

"She's not lying, Mr. Fingerprint really is real!" Gumball said, sticking up for his mom.

"Yeah!" Darwin added. "He robbed the gas station and threatened us with the fearsome might of his spoon!"

"It was horrible!" his brother continued, getting a slightly panicked expression. "I didn't know if we were gonna make it out of there alive, his spoon was so powerful!"

"When he shook it in our faces it was like death was right in front of us! I saw my life flash before my eyes!" Darwin cried out, before they both concluded with a loud scream of terror. Silence was among them as they held each other, quivering with self-induced fear. Nobody knew what to say. The doughnut cop just stared at them, planning on disregarding everything they said. It sounded crazy and deranged.

"His spoon was pretty scary..." Richard muttered, making Nicole slap her hand against her forehead. It was hard enough believing that a "fingerprint man" committed a robbery, but a person would have to be insane to believe that he did it using a spoon as a weapon, which was exactly why she had left that detail out.

"Okay, if you say so," The officer said with an assuring tone that he was most likely trained to use when dealing with people who weren't entirely sane. "Why don't you kids and your father just head home and get some rest? We'll keep an eye out for Mr. Fingerprint," He promised with fake sympathy, motioning for them to leave. Gumball simply pulled away from his brother, crossing his arms and frowning.

"We're not going anywhere without Mom," he stated surely while Darwin nodded, scowling a bit. Nicole couldn't hide a small smile as she watched them, however it faded when she saw how the living doughnut narrowed his eyes. Then she realized that if he had to he would forcibly remove them, and it would be completely legal since they refused to leave. Sighing, she knew what she had to do.

"Gumball..." she uttered softly, grasping the bars in front of her. "Maybe you all should just go home without me." The shock on their faces was heartbreaking, but she refused to let that show in her expression. If she looked distressed it would only make things worse. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. It's way past your bedtime, anyway."

"Mom..." Gumball and Darwin said weakly, tears already welling up in their eyes. They had never expected her to encourage them to leave her; how could they?

"Go on," she said, her calm facade becoming harder to maintain. "I'll be out of here soon." Discreetly, she motioned for their father to take them home. He hesitated, unsure of the whole situation, but after a while he did as she instructed and took the boys' hands.

"Come on, guys... Your mother will be okay," Richard said to them, though he honestly didn't know. Gumball and Darwin couldn't take their eyes off their mom, even as they approached the exit. "Let's go, Anais," their dad practically whispered, turning to see her standing by Nicole's cell with her hands pressed gingerly against the bars.

"We'll miss you, Mom..." the little bunny murmured, releasing a small sniffle as she looked up at her mother.

"I'll miss you too, honey," she assured, dropping to her knees and sticking her arms through the bars before wrapping them tightly around her daughter. She leaned in as much as possible, feeling the warmth and security of her mom's embrace and dreading the moment it ended. "Go on with your father and brothers, they're waiting for you," Nicole said, forcing a small smile as Anais gave a slight nod before heading back to the other Wattersons, glancing at her as she walked.

"I'll take that," the doughnut cop said as he suddenly took the plastic knife Gumball had used to cut the cake, killing the mood. "Civilians aren't allowed to carry weapons on the premises. You're lucky you're just a kid or you'd have been in a lot of trouble, pal." With that said, he placed the 'weapon' in a paper bag before walking off with it. As soon as he was gone the gloomy atmosphere returned.

"Well... bye, Mom," Gumball finally said, followed by a torrent of simultaneous farewells and goodbyes from the others. Nicole cherished every word they spoke.

"Bye... I'll miss you all," she said after they were done. For a minute all they did was watch her, as if waiting for some kind of miracle to happen. When silence was all they received, Richard reluctantly turned to the door and pulled it open. Giving his wife one last worried glance, he stepped out and waited for the kids to follow. They just stood and stared longingly at their mother for a while, and then they each gave a gentle wave before slowly following their dad out.

When the door finally closed Nicole's fake smile faltered, followed by a bombardment of unnerving loneliness. Her gaze unconsciously lowered to the floor as the sadness she'd been holding in began to surface. The confidence she had displayed for her family had vanished, replaced by the sorrow and anxiety she didn't want them to feel. She knew that they didn't know how to live without her, and that thought was what upset her the most.

Letting a sigh out, she sat on the messy bed that resided in her cell and tried to calm down, but as thoughts of all the things that could happen to her kids without her began to swirl around in her mind all she could do was shut her eyes and try to ignore them. That proved to be too difficult as every possible scenario played in her head, some being too horrible for her to bear. Nicole could feel herself tensing, her hands curled into tight fists as they rested in her lap. Then, just when she couldn't take it anymore, she gave up, opening her eyes and allowing fresh tears to slide down her cheeks. Everything just felt so hopeless, and for once there was nothing she could do. Quiet sobs filled the dark cell as she let her tears fall. It had literally been years since the last time she cried like that; a part of her was glad she was letting her emotions out, but that feeling was drowned out by the insufferable pity she felt for her family.

_Calm down, Nicole, _she thought to herself, wiping her teary eyes. _Everything's going to be okay... Soon you'll be back home with your wonderful kids and husband. _She closed her eyes and took a moment to regain her composure, and then went over what she had told herself. How hard could it be to find a fingerprint man robbing places with a spoon? A bit of hope began to show in her eyes when she realized that he would probably strike again, and maybe someone smart enough to know that a spoon isn't a weapon would be there to catch him. Her lips actually managed a small smile as faith slowly returned. _Yeah... I'll be out of here soon._

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><p><strong>Torn Apart<strong>

Gumball and Darwin rested silently on the couch of their residence, not paying any attention to the TV as it rattled on. All they did was stare into space, occasionally glancing at each other before letting their gazes drift away. The floor was now overrun with trash, filth, and anything else that made its way to it. The walls were tainted in several areas and a horrible smell filled the whole house. Flies buzzed around annoyingly, often landing on the garbage that dominated the ground. The place was a mess, to say the least.

Ending the prolonged silence between them with a sigh, Darwin shifted his position to get more comfortable, but retracted his flipper when it made contact with a nasty stain. "Eww," he muttered before scooting away from it and turning to his brother. "How long have we been without Mom?" he asked quietly, wiping his fin on the armrest.

"Like two weeks," Gumball said, not even having to think about it. Each day without their mother was unforgettable, chores started piling up almost immediately. Their dad had tried to take responsibility and maintain everything, but it was all new to him. He was accustomed to letting Nicole do all the work, which actually never seemed to bother her.

"Oh," Darwin mumbled, descending his gaze to the dirty floor. It wasn't long before he had another question. "How long has Dad been gone?" This time Gumball had to ponder for a moment, but when he spotted a clock among the trash discarded around them it didn't take him long to do the math and come up with an approximate answer.

"Three hours," he said, meeting Darwin's eyes with his own. Richard was doing the one thing none of them had ever expected him to do in his lifetime, applying for a job. The realization that he needed one occurred when they first started running out of food, which had happened a lot sooner than they anticipated. Since that day, the adult rabbit had been searching for an occupation he was good at, but unfortunately his poor work experience made that very difficult. "Shouldn't he be back by now?" Gumball asked. It never took him more than two hours to fail a job application.

A smile then appeared on the youthful fish's face. "Maybe he got the job," he said hopefully, just before they heard the door open. Immediately they hopped off the couch and trudged through the large mass of items on the ground until they were at the door, which their dad was locking.

"How'd it go, Dad?" Gumball asked eagerly, making Richard turn to them with a cheerful smile.

"I got the job!" he said happily. Gleeful looks emerged on the boys' faces.

"Hurray!" they shouted, jumping for joy and dancing with excitement. Things were finally starting to look up.

"And then lost it," he added as his mood suddenly turned depressed, ending Gumball and Darwin's mini celebration just as Darwin began to do the robot.

"Aww man..." Richard's eldest son said, drooping sadly with his brother.

"Who knew to be a chef you actually have to know how to cook?" their dad asked rhetorically as he shrugged, earning him a period of silence as the two boys just looked at him. Neither of them bothered explaining just how obvious it was, mostly because information like that never stuck with him. Sighing, he proceeded past the boys and headed to the stairs. "I'm going to check the job ads again..." he stated as he ascended, making a turn before entering the master bedroom. His kids simply let their eyes sink to the floor as they sulked. A second later Darwin slumped sadly against the door behind him and placed his arms around his legs, hugging them slightly.

"I miss Mom..." he said softly, letting out a few sniffles. Things were so different without her, and it wasn't just how unorganized everything was. They would normally welcome her home after a hard day at work, chat with her as they enjoyed the dinner she cooked, and then wish her a good night before going to bed, but none of that happened anymore.

"I know, Darwin," Gumball said as he took a seat next to him, placing a hand on the fish's head due to his lack of a torso. "But look at the bright side, tomorrow's Saturday so Dad'll take us to see her," he verbalized as he forced a smile, though it didn't take long for it to expire. They'd been visiting their mother every weekend since she'd been imprisoned; they couldn't do it any more often because they had school. A sigh escaped Darwin's lips before he spoke.

"I wish we could do more than just visit her," he said quietly, wiping a tear from his eye. Seeing his action, Gumball pulled his former pet into a tight embrace, feeling a tear of his own threaten to fall.

"I know, buddy..." he whispered, doing the best he could to comfort him. "I wish we could, too."

"We can," a voice said from the top of the stairs, getting their attention. They looked up to see Anais descending towards them, a serious look on her face.

"What do you mean?" Gumball asked as he and Darwin stood up. She sighed with slight aggravation before beginning to explain.

"Look, the police are never gonna catch Mr. Fingerprint; he hasn't been spotted since he robbed the gas station and they don't even believe he's real." As their sister spoke the boys could feel the remainder of their hope disappear. They had assumed that at some point the police would capture the fingerprint man, it was the only way their mom would be released.

"But... They have to catch him," was all Darwin could say before Anais continued.

"No, we have to catch him." There was a long silence as her brothers tried to fathom what she had just suggested; it took them completely by surprise.

"Say what?" Gumball finally asked. He had never considered the option of apprehending Mr. Fingerprint themselves. It didn't seem possible to him, they were just kids, and he was a man with a spoon. The thought of having to confront him sent shivers down the young cat's spine.

"Gumball, if we don't do something Mom might never get out of jail," Anais said, watching her oldest brother show signs of conflict as he thought about whether or not he should listen to her. Her eyes formed a small glare when he seemed to be leaning more towards not doing anything. "And we'll have to keep relying on Dad to take care of us," she added, causing Gumball to gasp.

"You're right, we can't just sit here and do nothing while Mom's locked up, we have to save her!" he shouted, imagining a future with only Richard to look after them. "Wherever Mr. Fingerprint may be, I vow that I will not rest, I will not sleep until I find him and put him where he belongs," he promised, solemnly placing a hand over his heart as an unnatural sense of drama fell upon them. Darwin just gave him a slightly confused look before asking the million-dollar question.

"How are you gonna do that?"

"I have no idea," Gumball admitted, suddenly lowering his head in shame. Anais then rolled her eyes before heading back to the stairs, making her brothers turn to her.

"Follow me," she requested, beginning her upward walk. The two boys stared at her as she reached the second floor, only averting their eyes to glance at each other with curiosity. In a matter of seconds they rushed after their sister, unaware of the adventure they were getting themselves into.

To Be Extended...

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><p><strong>Hey, just to make sure everybody knows this, I'm aware that the gas station robbery wasn't Mr. Fingerprint's first crime. There's a reason why Mr. Doughnut doesn't think he's real. Good night, everyone. ^^ Or good morning, since it's like 7:39 AM where I am.<strong>


	2. The Plan & Visitation

**...Holy woah, this chapter's way longer than I expected. I considered splitting it into two... but nah. ^^ See you at the bottom!**

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><p><strong>The Plan<strong>

"Alright, if we're gonna catch Mr. Fingerprint, first we're gonna have to figure out where he is," Anais stated, her brothers simply staring at her as she explained. They now resided in their room, with the door closed to prevent their father from listening in. Normally they wouldn't worry so much about him, but after what happened two weeks prior there was no way he'd let them go after a criminal. Even he wasn't that idiotic; however, he didn't have the intelligence to be an asset in their pursuit of the fingerprint guy, which was why Anais had decided not to ask him for assistance. "We know that he was last seen when he robbed the gas station, so that's where we should start our investigation."

"An investigation?" Darwin asked, slightly confused. "So we'll be like, detectives?"

"Uh-huh," Anais said, turning to the large bunk bed and resting on her knees as she searched under it for something.

"Yeah, just like on TV," Gumball told his brother with a smile. He then closed his eyes and pretended to remove a pipe from his mouth. "Detective Watterson speaking," he said, unsuccessfully imitating a British accent as he partially opened his eyes. Darwin released a small laugh at the impersonation. "Elementary, Darwin," the cat continued. "Mr. Fingerprint is no match for the sleuthing skills of Detective Gumball Watterson. The idea that he can escape me is nothing more than poppycock." The two boys then broke into a fit of laughter.

Hearing them, Anais couldn't suppress a giggle as she practically crawled under the bed to find what she was looking for. In truth, she was actually skeptical about allowing Gumball and Darwin to help her hunt down Mr. Fingerprint. She knew their eccentric behavior could prove to be a problem later, but she couldn't capture a dangerous criminal on her own. "Got it!" she suddenly announced, earning her brothers' attention.

"Got what?" Gumball asked, just before the bunny came out with a fedora in her hands. The boys' eyes sparkled.

"Whoa!" they both exclaimed, marveling at the stylish headwear. It was in mint condition, despite being cluttered under the bed for an extended period of time.

"I've been saving it for an occasion like this," Anais said, letting her feline sibling get hold of the hat and study it some more. After a moment of tenaciously admiring it her brothers turned their heads to look at each other.

"Do you know what this means, Darwin?" Gumball asked. The anthropomorphic fish scratched his head and thought for a second.

"We have a new hat?" he replied, shrugging a bit.

"No, it means we really are detectives!" Excitement was evident on Darwin's face as Gumball placed the fedora on his head, hiding his blue ears. "How do I look?" he questioned, watching as his best friend's eyes were filled with amazement.

"Like a real private eye!" Darwin answered, joyfully throwing his flippers in the air.

"Awesome! Now all I need is a..." He trailed off as he glanced around the room. It wasn't nearly as run-down as the living room and kitchen, though it was obvious that they hadn't cleaned it in some time. Well, Gumball and Darwin hadn't, but Anais would occasionally try to. Gumball then noticed his sister holding up a magnifying glass for him to take. "Perfect!" he proclaimed as he snatched the hand lens and inspected the scenery around him. He soon found himself observing a curious Darwin. "Hold still, buddy," Gumball said, examining his brother's face and making him raise an eyebrow.

"Uh," was all he managed before the young cat turned to face Anais, who was watching them with a small smile.

"Hey, check this out, Darwin." With that said, Gumball used the lens to enlarge the rabbit's nose. Darwin stood next to him and snickered at the sight of her inflated snout. The magnifier then expanded her lips, which were no longer curled into a smile. The boys giggled while Anais simply rolled her eyes, failing to see the humor in the situation. "Okay, okay," Gumball uttered, their laughter subsiding. "Enough fooling around. It's time to save Mom!" Clutching the magnifying glass tightly in his hand, he hurried to the door and firmly grasped its knob, only to be stopped by the voice of his sister.

"Gumball wait, we can't look for Mr. Fingerprint now," she said as she and Darwin eyed the preteen.

"Why not?" he asked, turning to them. "Right now Mom's locked in a small cell; cold, lonely, and probably starving." Anxiety could be seen on his siblings' faces as Gumball took on a stern look. "What possible reason could there be for us to wait while she's suffering?" he demanded, his gaze fixated on Anais.

"...It's almost bedtime," she stated while his words about their mother's condition repeated in her mind. The unexpected answer made Gumball's eyes widen for an instant.

"Oh, yeah, of course," he said with a nervous laugh. "I knew that." Silence then permeated the room as the children let their thoughts drift to the well-being of their mom. She always seemed to be okay when they visited her, but that didn't stop them from worrying. The awkward lack of sound continued for about a minute before one of them spoke up.

"I'm gonna go take a bath," Anais verbalized, making her way to the door and stepping out after opening it.

"Alright," Gumball said, watching as she walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. She didn't even bother to get a clean set of clothes, mostly because there weren't any. Their father had tried to do the laundry after Nicole was arrested, but after load after load of shrunken garments he finally decided to give up. The clothes that hadn't been contracted were now quite dirty, even their pajamas. Releasing a sigh, Gumball turned to face his fish brother. "Come on, Darwin," he mumbled. "Let's go see what's on TV." The two then exited their room and headed for the stairs.

"Gumball?" Darwin muttered.

"Yeah, buddy?" the blue cat replied.

"You don't really think Mrs. Mom is starving... do you?" The fear in his eyes was enough to make Gumball stop and think for a moment. Honestly, he barely knew anything about prison. Whenever he asked Nicole about it she would say nothing beyond her opinion that it was "tolerable."

"I sure hope not..." Gumball said, unable to think of a better answer. The two boys stared at each other with matching worried looks, and then continued down the stairs and into the messy living room. As the water continued to run in the bathroom a couple of tears fell into the tub, disrupting the depressed reflection of Anais. She gently wiped her eyes dry; crying wouldn't help her mother, but finding the fingerprint guy would. At that moment, she silently promised herself that she wouldn't give up until she caught Mr. Fingerprint, no matter how dangerous things got. As she stared down at herself in the water, Anais knew that her mom would do the same for her.

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><p>In the corner of a poorly lit cell, the still form of Nicole could be seen lounging uncomfortably on a worn-out bed. The slightest movement would make it squeak annoyingly, but that was the least of her worries. After two weeks of being in captivity she could only imagine how badly things must've been going for her family. When she saw them on weekends they would always assure her that everything was fine and that she didn't need to worry, but her instinct believed otherwise.<p>

It would actually disappoint her slightly when the thought that Richard couldn't take care of their kids alone creeped into her mind. A part of her felt like she was doing all of the parenting, and at one point it made her question why she married the immature rabbit. However, that topic was quickly pushed aside by the undeniable fact that she loved him. She loved Richard with all her heart; it didn't matter that he wasn't the smartest person in the world. She loved him, and he loved her.

"Lights out!" The voice of the doughnut cop echoed throughout the halls as what little illumination there was in Nicole's cell vanished. She paid no attention to the sudden darkness and let her worried thoughts continue. As they proceeded to haunt her she knew that she was going to have trouble sleeping, but over the past two weeks that had become usual for her. Although even if she did manage to fall into a slumber she would most likely be woken up by a frightening dream about her children; they had become rather common for her.

Despite all of that, Nicole closed her eyes and attemped to get some rest; she didn't want to appear tired the next day, mostly because her kids and husband were going to visit her and they would be relentlessly searching for any signs of unhappiness. Sighing, the feline rolled onto her back and looked at the ceiling, quickly giving up on trying to sleep. It was going to be a heart-wrenching day for her, but she couldn't wait for tomorrow.

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><p>The distinctive shriek of a rooster could be heard as the sun began its long journey across the sky. Its warmth rained down on the city known as Elmore, signaling its inhabitants that morning had arrived. They each climbed out of bed, well-rested and ready to start the day; however, contrary to the rest of the town, the Wattersons' house was emitting a loud ringing sound as an alarm clock went off.<p>

"Ugh..." Gumball groaned, refusing to open his eyes as he rolled over, his head pressing against a drool stain on his pillow. "Five more minutes," he muttered, but the sound continued. Covering his ears, he eventually gave up and turned to the alarm clock, quickly shutting it off. Rubbing his tired eyes, the cat got out of bed and sluggishly walked out of the room, just as Darwin and Anais began to wake up. "Hi, dad," he greeted sleepily as he passed his parents' room, which contained an unconscious Richard. A newspaper concealed his face, slightly muffling his obnoxious snoring.

Gumball practically dragged himself down the stairs before making his way into the kitchen. Ignoring how filthy it was, his half-open eyes located the pantry, which he approached. Upon opening it, he discovered a lone box of cereal. Grabbing it, he groggily advanced to the dining table, picking up a dirty bowl on the way. As he sat down he opened the cereal box, tilting it over his bowl so that its contents would spill into it. Much to his dismay, all that came out was a pile of dust. Gumball simply stared at it, sighing as his stomach growled ferociously.

"Bye, Dad!" he suddenly heard his siblings shout in unison before they came running downstairs, Darwin wearing the fedora. Unlike Gumball, they both seemed to be wide-awake. It didn't take long for them to spot him in the kitchen.

"Come on, Gumball, what are you waiting for?" Darwin asked, motioning towards his hat. "It's time to catch Mr. Fingerprint!" Anais nodded, magnifying glass in hand.

"Oh, right," their older brother replied, instantaneously losing his tired expression as he stood up. "Okay, let's go to the-" he began, only to be silenced by Darwin gripping his arm and pulling him out the door. Once outside, he bolted down the street, still holding on to his feline friend. "Uh, Darwin?" Gumball tried to get his attention, his legs unable to match the speed of the fish's long ones. When he received no answer he began to panic slightly. "Darwin!" he yelled before tripping and falling face first on the street. Still, Darwin continued to haul him, unknowingly dragging him across the asphalt. His dampened screams failed to register in his brother's mind as he kept running. After a while, they came to a sudden stop and Gumball's arm was released.

"Here it is!" Darwin announced, standing before a rather large gas station. Its size could be compared to that of a superstore. When Gumball didn't say anything, Darwin turned to see him struggling to sit up, his facial features horribly disfigured. "What happened to your face?" he asked innocently, earning himself a silent stare.

"Where's Anais?" Gumball managed, ignoring his question. Just then the pink bunny came up to them, panting after the sprinting she had done to keep up with her brothers.

"There she is," Darwin said, pointing to her and smiling. Wiping a bit of sweat from her brow, she looked up at the two boys.

"Alright," said Anais as they both listened, Gumball literally shaking away all traces of injury. "Here's the plan; we go inside and look for clues. Got it?" she asked.

"Yep!" they both responded, nodding.

"Good. Okay then, let's commence Operation Find Mr. Fingerprint!" she declared, turning and walking into the store. Gumball faced his brother.

"Come on, buddy, let's go find those clues!" he exclaimed, enthusiastically running inside.

"Yeah!" Darwin agreed as he threw his flippers up, taking a few steps before stopping when he had a huge realization. Pondering for a while, he eventually asked the question that was now on his mind. "...What's a clue?" After thinking for a few more seconds, he walked through the entrance to join the others. They were greeted by the smiling face of Larry Needlemeyer, which soon took on a worried look when he saw them.

"Oh, hey, kids," he greeted from behind a counter.

"Hey, Larry," they all said simultaneously.

"How are things at home?" the cashier asked, staring cautiously at them. "Is Richard taking good care of you?" Gumball was the first to speak.

"Yeah, totally," he stated, having no difficulty with his lie. After telling it to all of his classmates at school and even his mother, he had gotten used to the fib. "Everything's great," he added with a confident smile. Larry seemed to have bought it.

"Well, that's good," he said, slightly relieved, though he was still a bit concerned. Laurence knew how lazy their father was, but he supposed it was possible that he cleaned up his act for the sake of his kids. "So, what brings you all here?" he asked, propping his large head with the palm of his hand as he leaned on the counter.

"We're trying to find-" Anais was interrupted when Gumball pressed his hand against her lips, shushing her. He then kneeled by her and spoke in a hushed tone.

"We need to keep this investigation as secret as possible; if Mr. Fingerprint finds out we're looking for him he'll advocate to another city and go into hiding."

"_Evacuate_," she corrected as she pushed his hand away.

"Whatever," he said, covering her mouth once again before turning back to Larry. "We're just gonna look around for a bit." The store clerk seemed a tad confused.

"Oh, well okay. If you need anything, feel free to ask," he told them as they began to walk further into the gas station.

"We will," Gumball assured, taking a few more steps before he and his siblings made a turn and entered an aisle. Once she was sure Larry wouldn't be able to hear them, Anais signaled her brothers to stop.

"Alright, let's split up and look for clues," she instructed, her oldest brother nodding.

"Right," he replied before the two of them hurried off in opposite directions.

"Wait, what's a clue?" Darwin tried to ask them, but they had already gone to start searching. All the fish boy could do was stand and glance around, not sure what he was supposed to be looking for. Anais, on the other hand, was marching through the aisles, carefully inspecting anything that could provide useful information. She studied every product, every item, even the floor she stood on, only to find nothing unusual.

Not knowing what else to do, Darwin approached a row of tin cans and started analyzing them, occasionally shaking them to get a better idea of what was inside. The sound of their edible contents swishing around reminded him of how hungry he was; he hadn't had a real meal in some time. He sighed as his stomach growled and went to look for clues somewhere else.

Meanwhile, Gumball was using unnecessary stealth as he eyed his surroundings. Whispering could be heard as customers watched him roll, jump, and take cover. However, he ignored them and continued to forage for anything out of the ordinary. "Nothing over here..." he said to himself, looking over the area he had just explored. "Maybe in the restroom?" Suddenly, something caught his attention. He quickly ran over to it, no longer trying to be covert. It was a door stationed at the back of the store; a sign on it read, "Employees only." Gumball disregarded the message, however, and proceeded to reach for the knob. "I wonder what's in here," he said to himself as he grabbed it, twisting it a bit before he was stopped by a voice.

"I'm sorry, you can't go in there; that room is for employees only," Larry explained from behind him. He had decided that it'd be best for him to take a short break from his usual job at the checkout and see what the kids were up to. His manager wouldn't be happy about it, but he figured his actions were justified after all the trouble the Wattersons had caused him in the past.

"Interesting..." Gumball mumbled, contemplating something. "What exactly are you trying to hide in there, Larry?" he quesioned, placing his hands on his hips.

"What?" Laurence asked, not knowing what the cat was getting at. He crossed his arms.

"I'd like to know, Larry... where were you on the night of my mom's birthday?" he hastily accused, pointing a finger at the surprised employee. There was a moment of silence before he acquired a blank expression.

"I was getting robbed by a fingerprint man. You were there." Gumball's eyes widened at that realization.

"Gumball, Anais, come look at this!" Darwin abruptly shouted from the other side of the gas station.

"Coming!" his brother responded as he ran past Larry, leaving him alone to wonder what they were doing. After making his way through a few aisles Gumball stopped in front of an anxious Darwin. "What is it?" he asked the goldfish.

"Did you find something?" Anais said as she hurried towards them, clutching her magnifying glass.

"Look!" he commanded, his flipper pointing to what appeared to be nothing more than a crumpled up candy wrapper. His siblings stared at it for a while, and then glanced at each other before letting their gazes return to it.

"Darwin, that's just a candy wrapper," his sister told him flatly while Gumball seemed to be deep in thought.

"A candy wrapper... that could have been dropped by Mr. Fingerprint!" he added, Anais turning to him with a raised eyebrow. "Good work, Darwin," Gumball complimented as he lifted up the small piece of trash, observing it and even sniffing it at one point. "This can only mean one thing."

"Mr. Fingerprint likes candy?" Darwin asked.

"Exactly. So wherever he is, he must have a decent supply of sugary sweets. We just have to find the candy, and then we'll find Mr. Fingerprint," he clarified, causing Darwin to slap his fins against his cheeks.

"It makes perfect sense..." he stated, entranced by Gumball's seemingly logical thinking. "You're amazing, Detective Gumball!"

"I'd be nothing without you, Detective Darwin," he replied, the two of them sharing a big smile as they believed they were one step closer to freeing their mother. Anais just slapped her forehead, knowing they hadn't really gotten anywhere.

* * *

><p>The sun beamed down on the world below it, its usual smile showing through its scalding features. Rays of heat covered nearly every inch of Elmore, the most notable place being the park. Despite the torrid weather, it was still as lively as ever; everyone was having a good time. As the children took part in a friendly game of tag while their parents watched, a gentle breeze grazed the happy setting. Constant laughter dominated their eardrums, drowning out nearly every other sound.<p>

At the center of the Joyful scene was Richard Watterson, the only adult who had decided to join the kids in their fun. They didn't mind; in fact, the whole game seemed to revolve around the normally slothful rabbit. He was surprisingly fast as he ran to avoid getting tagged, leaving his pursuer, a young specter, to catch her nonexistent breath.

"You can't catch me!" Richard teased playfully, his legs carrying his massive body with incredible ease. At that moment, the roaring of thunder seized their focus, decimating their excitement. Looking up, they were shocked to see that a fleet of dark clouds had formed above them, blocking the sun. When a bolt of lightning dashed through the sky the kids quickly returned to their parents. Umbrellas were pulled out as everyone prepared for the rain that was sure to come.

Unfortunately, Richard was lacking a parasol. He could do nothing other than stare up at the changing weather, anticipating a shower of raindrops. However, when it finally occurred, the cold substance that began pelting him felt nothing like ordinary rain. The somewhat sticky droplets clung to his skin, revealing that they were each multicolored. At first he couldn't identify the mysterious semiliquid, but when a bit of it landed on his nose and he got a good whiff he immediately realized what it was.

"Ice cream!" he exclaimed, grinning madly as he opened his mouth to catch as much of it as possible. Hearing him, the others lowered their umbrellas and soon confirmed that it really was raining ice cream. Cheers erupted among them as they gleefully scattered around the park, relishing the unusual precipitation.

Suddenly, an enormous glob of the dairy product descended onto Richard, leaving only his head visible while the rest of him was buried in the delicious treat. He laughed, feeling complete and total bliss. Everything was just so perfect; it was almost like a dream to him. But then, out of nowhere, the deafening wail of an alarm assaulted his ears, forcing him to shield them as he squeezed his eyes shut. The noise lasted for five agonizing seconds before ceasing, along with the ice cream storm. Quietness was all that remained; even the typical chirping of birds was inaudible.

Opening his eyes, Richard soon discovered that he was now in an office building; keystrokes, printers and small talk could be heard from all directions. "Huh?" was all he could say as he looked around, trying to fathom just how he'd gotten there. His presence went unnoticed by the dozens of workers who occupied the establishment; they simply went on with their business. Richard's gaze darted left and right as he tried to figure out how to approach the situation. His conscience was telling him that he needed to leave so he began searching for a way out.

"Richard Watterson!" a voice shouted through an intercom, making him jump. "I'm not paying you to stand around and do nothing! Now stop messing around and get back to work!"

"Uh, yes, sir!" Richard responded, startled by the aggressive order. Unsure of what he was supposed to do, he made his way to a computer and was overwhelmed by all of the numbers its monitor was displaying. They made no sense to him, but he felt compelled to do the job he apparently had. After some self-persuasion he hesitantly pressed a button on the keyboard, causing a herd of error messages to assemble. His gasp was accompanied by a fearful expression as he tried to correct his mistake by hitting another key. However, this only provoked another wave of notifications, scaring him even more. "Uh-"

"That's it, Watterson! I've had it with you and your ridiculous antics! As of today, you are fired!" the intercom bellowed before abruptly shutting off.

"Fired?" Richard repeated with disbelief. Just then, the computer he was next to began to slowly rise into the air. Noticing it, he rushed over to the intercom and got down on his knees. "Wait, please, sir!" he begged, clasping his hands together and holding them up. "Give me another chance! I'll work overtime!" There was no reply as the other employees finally acknowledged that he was there, simultaneously chuckling at the unemployed rabbit. "Stop laughing at me!" he yelled to them before spotting the levitating computer. It neared him as he backed against a wall, afraid of what was going to happen next. Just when he thought things couldn't get any worse, it produced a loud hiss as its monitor generated a threatening scowl.

Letting out a shriek of terror, Richard made a break for the nearest exit. When he reached it, however, he quickly found out that it was locked. He released an exaggerated whimper as he pounded his fists on the door, and then turned around to see the glaring CPU approaching him. "Leave me alone!" he warned, but it refused to comply. As it inched closer and closer to him all he could do was shield himself with his arms. "What do you want with me?" he asked, shivering with fright. He was expecting the processing unit to violently lash out at him, but instead it leaned towards him and suddenly spoke with an immensely calm voice.

"Your overall performance over the past few days has been less than adequate. I'm afraid we're going to have to let you go, Mr. Watterson."

Richard's eyes shot open as he screamed at the top of his lungs. He pulled himself into a sitting position and immediately scanned his whereabouts. To his surprise, he was sprawled on the bed in his room with a newspaper resting in his lap. For a while he didn't know what was going on, but then it occurred to him that his recent experience was just a nightmare. A relieved sigh departed from his lips, disturbing the silence that had engulfed the room. Richard then glanced down at his watch, wondering how long he'd slept, and gasped.

"It's time to go see Nicole!" he realized, despite his watch being several hours off. Scrambling to his feet, the faithful husband rushed off to get prepared, definitely not wanting to show up late.

* * *

><p><strong>Visitation<strong>

Near the entrance to the gas station, the Watterson kids hung their heads in defeat as they tried to figure out what they were going to do next. After roughly three hours of searching for anything that could lead them to Mr. Fingerprint, the sheer difficulty of their task had become obvious. They had found absolutely nothing, in spite of their efforts.

"Being a detective is harder than I thought," Darwin muttered, his gaze not leaving the floor as his peers tacitly agreed. Anais had already informed him and his brother that the candy wrapper Darwin had located was completely useless. It took a minute to convince them, but it wasn't very hard for her.

"I don't understand," Gumball spoke up, lifting his head. "It looks so much easier on TV." Anais turned to him.

"That's because the detectives on TV are actors, Gumball. It's all fake," she said, the cat looking at her with half-lidded eyes.

"Duh, I know that. But still, they make it look so easy." He sighed, another period of mutism beginning to take place. While Gumball and Anais simply stared at the ground, Darwin scratched his noggin as he pondered something. Peering at the two, he lowered his flipper and raised an eyebrow.

"Fake?" he asked, though his question was disregarded when Larry walked towards them, briefcase in hand.

"Excuse me, kids, but exactly how long do you plan on staying here?" he questioned, glancing at a clock on the wall. "It's past eleven; I need to get to Laser Video soon or else my manager will have my-"

"It's past eleven?" Gumball asked, gasping as his siblings attained expressions of shock. During their intense hunt for clues they'd completely lost track of time. Anais berated herself for not taking one second to check one of the several clocks that were stationed all around the store.

"Well, yeah," Laurence confirmed, heading to the counter and opening his briefcase before placing it down. "You've been here for hours just snooping around. It's almost like you're on some kind of investi-..." he explained as he loaded items into his case, stopping when he noticed that the three kids had left. Ignoring his curiosity, he shrugged it off and got back to what he was doing, not wanting to be tardy to his second job of the day.

Outside, the trio of children could be seen as they speedily made their way out of the parking lot and onto a sidewalk, commencing their desperate journey back home. "Why didn't you tell me it was time to visit Mom?" Gumball scolded his sister as they ran.

"I didn't know!" she shot back, frowning at him. "And besides, you're the one with a watch!"

"The batteries are dead!" he said, opening up his watch to show her two batteries with X's for eyes and tongues sticking out of what appeared to be their mouths. Anais eyed them for a while; she wasn't expecting them to literally be dead. However, before she could make a remark about how ridiculous it was, her head jerked forward as she spotted what could've been their demise.

"Watch out!" she cried, getting her brothers' hands and making them slow to a stop, preventing them from crossing a road. Seconds later, a bus practically flew past the three of them, creating a gust of wind that nearly knocked them down. It certainly would have flattened them if they had kept going, which the boys quickly realized. They stared at the vanishing cloud of smoke left behind by the vehicle for a moment, mouths agape, and then turned to their sister.

"Whoa..." Gumball said, still shaken by their near-death experience. "You saved our lives..." Darwin nodded in agreement.

"We could've ended up like Gumball's batteries," he added, a tiny amount of fear in his words.

"You're a real hero, Sis," his brother stated while they both gave her a grateful smile. Anais just rubbed the back of her head as she closed her eyes, feeling slightly flattered.

"Aww thanks," she said without the least bit of arrogance in her tone. She was just glad that her brothers were okay. "It was nothing really, I just..." Anais opened her eyes and was surprised to see that the boys had continued running, leaving her behind and discarding the bonding scenario created by her heroics. She groaned quietly to herself and went after them, though, just like she'd been taught, she looked both ways before crossing the street.

Minutes passed before they finally made it home; their father was already in the car waiting for them. Hastening, they opened the door and recklessly piled into the backseat, throwing their seatbelts on. "Let's go, Dad!" Gumball vocalized, not even giving him enough time to greet them. Richard then started the engine and in no time they were smoothly gliding through the streets of Elmore. "Okay," said Gumball, breathing heavily after their exhausting trek home. "Maybe we won't be that late." Anais nodded, feeling just as drained as the young cat. Then she remembered that Darwin still had the fedora resting on his head. She snatched it from him and placed it at her side, knowing that their mother would become suspicious if she saw him wearing it. Darwin felt his exposed cranium just before the car came to a sudden stop. "Huh? Why are we stopping?" Gumball asked, turning to his dad.

"It's my old nemesis from driving school," he said, frowning as he recalled how long it'd taken him to get his license. "The red light." Silence took over as they all fervently watched the traffic light, waiting impatiently for it to change. None of them could look away from it; it seemed to mock them with its everlasting stillness. Sweat began to trickle down Gumball's forehead as seconds felt like minutes. Richard squinted his eyes slowly, as if trying to telepathically make the light change. After what seemed like hours of tormenting immobility, the crimson glow then shifted to green and they accelerated once again.

"Finally!" Gumball exclaimed with annoyance while his dad just chuckled.

"Another victory against the infamous red light," he said happily. "You see, kids, these are the kind of challenges you'll have to face when you're older." He glanced at them through his rear-view mirror with a small grin, though it subsided when he spotted a second traffic light. It emitted a vermilian hue, forcing them to, once again, stop. Richard began to show signs of mental distress while the children merely groaned, knowing their trip was going to take longer than expected.

Meanwhile, instead of the gloomy cell that accumulated most of her time, Nicole was situated in a small booth, lightly drumming her fingers against the surface of a counter in front of her. To her right was a telephone that she assumed was severely outdated; its old-fashioned guise was nearly impossible to ignore. It clung firmly to the wall as an unseen wire connected it to an identical phone in a secondary booth, which Nicole could see through a thick layer of plexiglass. Sadly, this was the method of visitation she had to abide by. It angered her; she couldn't give her children the hugs they so desperately desired when they saw her or feel the tight yet comforting embrace of her husband. All she could do was talk to them, though that wasn't what was currently on her mind.

Her eyes darted to her wrist, which would normally be encased in the band of a watch, but the doughnut cop had confiscated it the day she was arrested. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, an ounce of worry finally showing on her face. Nicole didn't have the faintest idea what time it was, but she did know that her family was supposed to arrive a while ago. It felt like hours had passed since she was released for her weekly reunion with them, but it couldn't have been that long; she was always taken back to her cell after only one hour.

Noticing something out of the corner of her eye, she was immensely relieved when she looked through the glass screen and caught sight of Gumball, Darwin and Anais rushing towards her; their father, as usual, couldn't keep up with them. Nicole smiled and retrieved the phone next to her, holding it up to her ear just in time for Gumball to nab the other one.

"Mom! Hey, how are you doing?" he asked urgently, only to have Darwin steal the telephone from him.

"Are you okay? You're not starving are you?" he questioned into the telecommunication device before Anais got her hands on it.

"We really miss you, and we're sorry it took us so long to get here."

"It's alright, sweetie," Nicole assured her daughter. "I'm just happy you made it here safely; I know how bad the traffic can be." Anais gave a small nod while her brothers practically squished their heads against hers in order to hear what their mother was saying. "And to answer your questions, boys, I'm doing just fine." She gave her adopted son a maternal smile. "And I'm certainly not starving." At that, Darwin visibly cheered up as Gumball pulled the phone from his little sister.

"So uh, Mom," he began, rubbing the back of his head in a slightly nervous manner. "Have you heard anything about the fingerprint guy?" he asked hopefully. Nicole hated the answer she had to give him.

"No, not yet," she said with forced optimism, though it didn't stop Gumball's depression from rising. "But don't worry about it, honey, I'm sure he'll turn up if we just be patient." But she wasn't sure; she had no idea if the police were ever going to catch him, and the fact that they apparently weren't even looking for him didn't help. Seeing the sorrowful looks her kids now wore, Nicole decided it was time to change the subject.

"Uh... can I talk to her?" Richard suddenly asked his children, feeling a tad lousy about interrupting their conversation with their mom. Gumball was reluctant to surrender the telephone to him, but he knew that his father had missed her just as much as he did, so he complied.

"Sure, dad," he said, handing it to him. Richard managed a sad smile as he took it and faced his wife, who just stared lovingly at him.

"Hi, honey," the rabbit uttered, feeling a little shy. He couldn't get over his belief that she was only in prison because of him. Their entire ordeal had been caused by his mistake, and that thought was killing him.

"Hey, Richard," Nicole said, maintaining her joyful expression and tone. While she was still upset with him for his actions on her birthday, she'd managed to get herself to forgive him. "How is everything at home?"

"Uh fine," he blurted out, breaking eye contact with her for a second. "Everything's just fine, honey." He forced a smile. Nicole was good at detecting lies; the only person who seemed to do it better than her was, surprisingly, her daughter. The female feline could almost naturally sense deception, but Richard was always an exception. She trusted him and couldn't bring herself to believe that he would intentionally fabricate the truth, especially if it was about something important.

"How have the kids been? Are they doing well in school?" she asked as many more questions flooded her mind; however, they were shooed away by the ominous sound of footsteps that infiltrated Nicole's ears.

"Okay, lady, time's up," the doughnut officer said from behind her, causing bewilderment to plague her face for an instant. She couldn't believe that the visit was already over; had her family really arrived that late? The other Wattersons couldn't hear what the edible cop had said, thanks to the plexiglass screen, but they already knew that when he showed up it meant that it was time for them to leave. Despair pervaded them as they averted their eyes to the floor, wishing they'd gotten there sooner.

Nicole didn't respond to the deputy; she simply looked at her husband, her positive mask slowly fading. "Well, I guess it's time for you to go," she stated into her phone, subconsciously gripping it with both of her hands. It was the only thing allowing her to communicate with them.

"Okay..." Richard mumbled into his, a short period of silence occuring afterwards.

"Bye, honey," Nicole belatedly said, causing his eyes to get slightly teary. She hated seeing him like that and wanted to say something to make him feel better, but she knew there wasn't enough time.

"Bye, Nicole," he replied quickly, as if to get it over with. Then he lowered the transceiver so that the children could mutter their farewells into it. They did so with obvious misery; none of them were ready to leave their mother, but there was nothing she could do about it. She had no control.

"I'll see you later, kids," she promised them, marking the end of their short conference. But none of them moved; the Wattersons were paralyzed as their bodies refused to lead them away. Even Nicole gave in to stillness, almost forgetting about the officer waiting for her; however, their immature way of prolonging their time together was soon brought to an end by said cop.

"Come on, let's go," he ordered impatiently. Nicole just hung her head and closed her eyes; she didn't want to go back to her cell and she didn't want her family to leave. She just wanted everything to go back to normal. "Now." Before she knew it, her arm was tightly grasped by the doughnut's hand. She tensed, a sudden surge of anger washing over her. Nicole wasn't a violent person, she was usually quite calm, but there was a limit to how much she could take before losing her temper. She wanted to pry the cop's hand off of her and send a brutal punch at him, but she knew better than that.

Ignoring her urge to rebel, she hung up the phone and stood, refraining from giving her family a final glance. She didn't want them to see the rage in her eyes, though what she didn't know was that Anais could already tell she was mad. The bunny let out a mournful sniffle that would've gained her Nicole's full attention, but she was unable to hear it.

As she was walked back to her cell she found herself wondering if this was how things were going to be for the next five years. Was she just going to have to get used to it? The cat cringed when she thought about how Richard and her kids would feel if they knew exactly how long she was supposed to be in prison. She hadn't told them, mostly because it would crush them, but also because she still had a bit of hope that the fingerprint guy would get caught.

"Before you get back in your cell, there's someone I think you should become acquainted with," the walking doughnut abruptly said, pulling Nicole from her thoughts. She looked at him, but before she could speak she took notice of an unfamiliar person in front of her. "This is Officer Legless," he clarified for her. "From now on, he's going to be the security around here; it'll be his job to watch the cells and prevent any disorderly conduct that may occur." Nicole just blinked.

Legless appeared to be a crocodile, a few of his blade-like teeth could be seen under his extended snout. Behind him was a long tail that rested neatly on the floor, occasionally executing a small movement. Contrary to what his name suggested, he had long, muscular legs connected to two large feet, which were both contained by heavy boots. However, what Nicole found the most surprising about him was that he lacked arms. She couldn't help but imagine how hard life must've been for him because of his handicap and question how he even became a cop.

Upon laying his eyes on the feline inmate, Officer Legless was shocked when he felt his heart nearly skip a beat. He stared awkwardly at her for a while, his tail suddenly lurching back and forth. Diffidence took over him and he was dumbfounded by the rush of emotions he was experiencing. Nicole gave him an odd look when she became aware of his discomfort, which only prompted him to turn away and squeeze his eyes shut. Unknown to her and his fellow officer, underneath Legless' eyelids were two prominent hearts that hungered for another glimpse of her.

To Be Extended...

* * *

><p><strong>Wow... Anyway, when the fingerprint guy was chasing Gumball and Darwin through the gas station in The Spoon it seemed to be a lot larger than most people would expect. That's why I made it so big in this chapter. ^^ Oh, and Larry has the same manager for all of his jobs. That may not be the case on the show, but it is in this fic. Hmm... Well, I don't think I have anything else to tell you. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. ^^<strong>


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